And even after Bartolo Colon held a powerful Washington Nationals lineup to three runs over six innings -- before the bullpen got knocked around for a couple more runs -- the Mets could not find any offense. The Mets lost 5-1 to the Washington Nationals as Gio Gonzalez pitched near flawlessly, though the two losses to start the season seem the least of the Mets’ worries.

Colon came to the Mets this winter on a two-year contract worth $20 million. The 40-year-old possesses a fastball that hypnotizes batters. It hovers on the edges of the plate but at slightly varying speeds to jam up carefully calibrated swings.

Only two members of the Nationals’ lineup had faced Colon, beginning his 17th season in the bigs. And once through the order, Colon’s fastball perplexed.

In the fourth inning, though, the Nationals began to gain traction. With one out, Jayson Werth looped a double down the right-field line. Adam LaRoche followed and eventually found a fastball along the rim of the plate to his liking. He tucked it into the left field corner and the Nationals matched the Mets on the scoreboard, 1-1.

Colon, though, demonstrated his savvy in stranding LaRoche. He induced a sharp ground ball from Ryan Zimmerman, the No. 5 hitter, and then struck out the Nationals’ phenom, Bryce Harper, on a dipping changeup that followed four fastballs up and away.

By the fifth inning, the Nationals altered their approach to Colon’s deceptive array of fastballs, which ranged between 93 and 86 miles an hour. The Nationals were through keeping their bats on their shoulders. Eight of the nine hits Colon allowed came over his final three innings.

Ian Desmond jumped at the first pitch of the inning -- a fastball rising over the heart of the plate -- and dumped it over the left-field fence.

"What you saw today was not his best stuff," manager Terry Collins said of Colon. "I've never seen over the last few years Bartolo pitch up so much. You see balls getting beat in the ground because of the sinker but today you see fly balls."

That Desmond, a shortstop who hit 20 home runs and swiped 21 bases a season ago, batted seventh Wednesday demonstrates the overwhelming depth of the Nationals’ lineup. Even the team's pitcher threatened to strike with his bat.

Two batters after Desmond, Gonzalez drove another fastball high and over the middle of plate towards left. The ball sneaked over the fence for his third career home run, the second-most among active pitchers.

Colon lasted another inning, and did not allow another run. Of his 110 pitches, 75 crossed the plate. But with Gonzalez breezing through the Mets’ lineup, the Nationals' 3-1 lead looked even wider.

Over the past two seasons, no left-hander in the majors has more victories than Gonzalez’s 32. His hot temper and hard fastball present a pitcher in contrast to Colon’s cool-and-easy style.

Gonzalez spun pitch after pitch past the Mets. In six innings he allowed three hits and a lone run, in the first inning. He struck out six and 60 of his 91 pitches were strikes.

"He threw strikes, he got a lot of quick outs and he was able to stay in the ballgame deep, which is exactly what you want from starters," Granderson said.

To begin with, Gonzalez faced a lineup light on offense. Daniel Murphy, the Mets’ No. 2 hitter, won’t return from paternity leave until Thursday. Young, the line-drive-hitting corner outfielder who was slotted to bat fifth left the game in the middle of the first inning. Young re-injured the right quadriceps strain that kept him out Opening Day.

Granderson, another outfielder signed this winter, is 0-9 to start the season. He struck out twice in his four at-bats, raising his season total to five strikeouts. After a swing and miss ended the sixth inning, the crowd booed Granderson to the dugout.

Not that Granderson is an exception. The Mets have struck out 31 times now through two games.

"We've got to do a better job putting the ball in play with two strikes," Collins said.

Juan Lagares, the young center fielder, once again provided a surprising spark. Batting leadoff, he knocked a triple into the right-center field gap off Gonzalez to start the game. He scored on David Wright’s sacrifice fly.

Lagares was involved in the only other rally off Gonzalez. Ruben Tejada singled and Lagares laced a double into left field in the bottom of the fifth. The ball kicked awkwardly off the wall, but Harper raced to it. He unloaded a laser throw to home plate that easily beat Tejada to end the inning and the final Mets' threat.